Manufacture of welted footwear



Dec. 10, 1940. F sMlTH 2,224,613

MANUFACTURE 0F WELTED FOOTWEAR Filed March 2, 1931s INVENTOR,

v aya@ Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF WELTED FOOTWEAR Application March 2, 1938, Serial No. 193,455

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of footwear, and more particularly to shoes having a welt incorporated therein by staple-stitching.

General objects of the invention are to provide a novel form of welting which is especially suitable for staple-stitching attachment to other shoe parts, and to provide improved shoemaking methods and constructions involving use of such welting.

Some particular objects of the invention are to provide a pre-prepared welt having a cementable retaining thread adhesively anchored lengthwise therealong in position to be straddled by staples insertable by a conventional -stapling machine,

and to provide methods of making shoes in which such welt can be easily and firmly incorporated by using such a conventional machine.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the article possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements, which are exemplied in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of welting embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view across the forepart of a lasted upper adapted to have welting of the present invention attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the forepart section of a shoe having the welting of Fig. 1 attached; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view across the forepart of a completed shoe.

The present invention relates generally to a type of welted shoe illustrated, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 1,737,484 issued November 26, 1929. In such a shoe, the upper can be easily overlasted in flat relation with the insole as for McKay or related types of shoes, this being simpler than most methods of upper lasting welted shoes. The advantages of a welt construction for attaching the outsole are then obtained by staple-fastening a welt to the lasted upper, while using a retaining cord to prevent the staples from pulling through the leather shoe parts.

The considerable strains existing between the welt and upper would make this easy stapling operation impractical without such a retaining means.

Improvements involved in this invention are, in large part, concerned with facilitating this stapling operation especially as regards the association of a staple-retaining cord with a shoe construction and related savings and improvements owing therefrom. ForV example, the present invention provides a prepared welting having a retaining cord incorporated with it While it is in strip form, and in this form it can economically be made up and sold to many manufacturers who already have standard stapling machines capable of staple-stitching welts with the present special welting.

Referring more particularly to the illustrative drawing, and rst to Fig. l, there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a prepared Welt l0 of leather or other suitablev material preferably capable of providing a cementable surface. The inner edge of this surface on its grain side may be beveled in the conventional manner as at II to facilitate handling and assembly. The sole or flesh side of the weit near but spaoedappreciably outwardly from its inward edge is provided with a prepared cementable cord-receiving surface which, in the illustrated preferred embodiment, comprises a gouged groove or gutter I2. This gutter accommodates a strong cord or thread I3 preferably formed of flexible cementable fibers such as cotton or linen. This cord and/or the groove is preferably impregnated or coated with cement serving adhesively to anchor it along the flesh surface of the welt in position eventually to be straddled by staples attaching the welt to an upper.

In cases where a cement bond between the welt and outsole is contemplated, the cement used on the retaining cord I3 should preferably be like or compatible with that used for attaching the outsole. The use of pyroxylin cement for this purpose is favored as being capable of setting or drying prior to the welt attaching operations subject to reactivation just before the sole aflixing operation.

Instead of by gouging a groove I2, the flesh surface of the welt may be locally prepared for cement-attachment with the retaining cord by roughing or scoring and, if desired, such roughing may be undertaken at this time over the entire flesh surface of the welt to strengthen the cement bond with the outsole. The groove l2 is preferred, however, because it serves readily to locate the cord I3 along a definite line, and also encases the cord so that it does not get in the way of parts on a standard stapling machine, and also because it, together with the cementimpregnated cord, provides a cement supply which, when activated, helps provide a strong bond between the welt and outsole.

When desired, especially if the outsole is not to be cement attached, the cord may be snugly sprung or anchored in the groove without cement.

The lasted upper to which such welt is adapted to be attached is preferably assembled on a last having an iron bottom I4. The shoe may comprise an insole I5 having an upper I6 lasted thereto with its lasting allowance in flat overlying relation therewith. This allowance may be stitched, or else tack or staple-lasted as indicated at I'i or cement-lasted as at IB.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the pre-formed welting is stapled to the lasted upper and insole by means of any suitable or desired stapling machine fitted for welt work, for example, the type shown in Patent 618,027. The welt guide is adjusted so that the staples being inserted by the machine straddle the retaining cord I3 as they are driven through and clenched against the last bottom. The heads of the staples are prevented from pulling through the welt by the cord, the latter making it possible to use staples simply driven from the outside of the shoe instead of through and through stitching or other forms of through and through attachment requiring delasting, otherwise used to attach a welt to a flat overlasted upper.

The welt, thus attached or staple-stitched, may, if wanted, be beaten or flattened, and it may also be. roughened for cement reception if this has not previously been done. A filler I9 of any suitable type may be inserted in the shoe bottom, preferably just prior to such a welt roughing operation so that any of the ller extending over or stuck on the cementable welt face is roughed away.

An outsole 20 is next attached to the welt I0 by cementing, stitching, or the like. In the case of cement-attachment, pyroxylin cement is preferably used and the outsole is suitably roughed and prepared for bonding to the flesh surface of the welt, which may be cemented or activated just prior to sole attaching. The cement bearing or cementable retaining cord also may contact this outsole to aid in forming a firm bond between it and the upper to which the cord is staple-clenched.

If desired, the presently described pre-formed welting may be staple-stitched to an unlasted upper which may thereafter be pulled over and lasted to the insole, but it is preferable, at least when cement sole attachment is employed, to have the staples clench the cementable cord on the welt rmly to both upper and insole.

Remaining steps such as trimming, burnishing, heeling, inserting a sock lining, etc., may be carried out as usual in order to complete the shoe.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above process, and certain modifications in the article which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a method of making footwear, the steps comprising, lasting an upper to an insole, providing a free welt having a retaining cord adhesively held in a groove along its sole side, then, without delasting the shoe, feeding the lasted upper and welt past a stapling machine in position to have the staples inserted by such machine straddle said cord, operating said machine to staple attach said welt, upper and insole with staples having their heads engaging and held by said cord. and attaching an outsole to said welt.

2. In a method of making footwear, the steps comprising, lasting an upper to an insole, providing a free welt, cementing a retaining cord along the sole side of said welt, then driving staples through said welt and into said lasted upper and insole. with their legs straddling said cord and their heads engaging it, providing an outsole, and cementing said outsole to said welt and cord with cement compatiblewith that previously usedto attach the cord to the welt.

3. In a method of making footwear, the steps comprising, lasting an upper to an insole, providing a free welt having a groove along its flesh side, fastening a retaining cord in said groove with pyroXylin cement, then driving staples through said welt and into said lasted upper and insole with their legs spanning said cord and their heads engaging it, providing an outsole, and cementing said outsole to said welt and cord with pyroxylin cement.

JOHN FREDERICK SMITH. 

